In Another Life
by FestiveFerret
Summary: Everyone knows the Dixon boys are trouble, but what if one of them could change? Wanted to change. Daryl doesn't want a life like his brother Merle has. Especially not after he meets Beth Greene, who warms his heart and makes him feel alive again. Will she let him return the favor, or will she push him away because of his past? AU (This story is on hiatus for now, so sorry!)
1. By The River

**Thanks for taking the time to read this story! It is my first fan fic and I do hope you enjoy it.** **Since it is an AU, this is a slightly different take on Beth and Daryl, so just keep an open mind. Thanks again, and if you like it, tell me in the reviews!**

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It was the middle of July and the summer sun was warm on her skin. Beth was glad she was able to be outside in the fresh, open air, and not stuck inside the kitchen. Last year during the Greene family picnic, she had helped Maggie cook the meats and sides and she regretted it! Maggie always had to do things _her_ way, and it was just very unpleasant.

This year, Beth elected to go huckleberry picking out by the river. She was planning on making a pie or two, but a peach and huckleberry cobbler might be even better. Her daddy did love her peach cobbler, and Jimmy did as well. She smiled when she thought of Jimmy. They had been seeing each other for two years now, almost. They did break up for a few months when she found out Jimmy had kissed another girl at a party, but they'd made up since then. Everybody makes mistakes, right?

She wiped some sweat from her forehead, and continued to pick the berries, quietly humming to herself. Finally a breeze picked up, and she sighed happily, standing up to cool off her body in its wake.

"Oh!"

Not seven feet away from where she stood was a doe, turning on its heels and taking off into the woods. She was surprised it hadn't smelled or heard her, but she didn't mind, it was a beautiful thing she was glad to see. She always thought it was funny that you could be close to so much and not even know it.

"Dammit, girl!"

Beth turned around almost as fast as the deer had, and looked for the voice, her brow furrowed.

A man came out from behind a thicket, glaring at her. "What'd you go 'n do that for?"

"Do what for?" Beth looked at the man, surprised and confused to see him here.

"I've been tracking that deer for miles 'n you just scared it away!"

Ugh, it was Daryl. Daddy said all the Dixon's were trouble, and she had seen enough from Merle to believe him. It was a small town, so everybody sees everybody, whether they want to or not. Still, it was rare to see Daryl without Merle leading the way.

"You can't hunt on our land, Daryl. Did you miss the signs?"

He sneered and shook his head. "So what if I did?"

She didn't really know how to respond to that. He stood about six feet tall, and held a crossbow that he looked like he knew how to use.

An eighteen year old girl and a bucket of huckleberries weren't exactly tough looking in comparison. Or at all.

"Just go home Daryl, you can't be here."

He took a few steps closer to her, the beginnings of a smirk growing on his face.

She lifted her chin and met his gaze, trying to at least look like he didn't scare her. She crossed her arms and hoped he couldn't tell that her hands were a little shaky. Beth thought he was going to walk right into her, but he went around her instead, his shoulder bumping hers as he stalked past.

 _Good riddance_ , she thought.

She watched him walk away for a moment, before letting out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. Dixons are trouble. Beth picked up her bucket of berries and made her way back towards the house, wanting to be as far away from him as she could.

"This should be enough…" In reality she just didn't wanna be anywhere near Daryl, he made her nervous. "Peach and huckleberry cobbler it is."

Back in the kitchen, Beth set the huckleberries on the countertop. She'd get to washing them later, but she was supposed to meet Jimmy at his place by five.

"Hey Maggie!" she called as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. "Did you get a chance to wash that dress for me?"

Beth stuck her head in the laundry room, and saw her green and white sundress hanging up. She grinned, "Thank you Maggie! You're the best!" She had no idea if her sister, or anyone else for that matter, could actually hear her, but that wasn't her fault and she was in too much of a rush to track them down.

She hopped into the shower, soaped up, washed her hair, and rinsed in record time. Beth didn't bother drying her hair, she liked how her hair curled when it dried by the sun. She did decide to wear some make up, but even that she kept simple and subtle. Jimmy had said they were gonna do something special for their anniversary, so she just wanted to look a little extra nice. She slipped into her dress, and went to look in the mirror.

She felt good. She looked good. She was ready to go!

She wrote a note reminding her daddy that she'd probably be back late and not to wait up, then grabbed her keys and walked onto the porch.

"Hey babe, you going somewhere?"

"Jimmy!"

Beth wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, surprised but happy to see him. "What are you doing here? I thought I was gonna meet you?"

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd be a little different today. Actually, I've got a few surprised for you tonight."

She gasped playfully, and kissed his cheek. Jimmy was usually a pretty straightforward guy, and it made her happy that he seemed to really want to make this anniversary special. Their relationship had changed when he left last fall for college, and though he still made her happy, it had been rough lately.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He drove them down the gravel roads that turned into paved ones, and eventually they were on a highway.

"Can you give me a hint at least?"

He was pulling off the highway and onto a smaller road. They were still in Georgia farmland, but she wasn't too familiar with the area.

"Okay. Well. There are two parts to tonight. The first involves a party and…"

"A party? Jimmy..."

"I know, I know. But I just have to make an appearance and say happy birthday to a friend! We won't stay long, I promise. Then we'll get to the best part of tonight." He reached for her hand, and she sighed.

"Fine… I just always feel really uncomfortable when everyone's drinking and stuff. Drunk college freshmen are really stupid, Jimmy!"

He laughed, "Don't worry, babe."

An hour and a half later, she was sitting on a bale of hay, listening to some horrible modern country music play on the too-loud speakers someone had set up in the back of their truck. Some of Jimmy's friends had pulled him away a while ago, doing who knows what. Beth had walked around for a little while, but they really only had chips and alcohol and music. She had just called Maggie, asking for her advice.

"You know how I feel about that boy, Beth."

Ever since Jimmy had kissed some college girl soon after he went away, Beth's family had been less-than-keen on him.

"I really thought tonight was gonna be different…"

"Want me to come pick you up? That'd show him."

"I don't even know where we are, honestly. We were just supposed to stay here for a few minutes."

She heard Maggie sigh on the other end. "Can't you ask someone?"

Beth glanced around, but was feeling shy around all the unfamiliar people. "I don't think any of them could remember where they are right now. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that he's done soon. I'll talk to you later."

She hung up the phone and sighed, wishing the night had gone differently. Which was about the time Jimmy came stumbling over.

"Hey pretty lady! How're you do…doing tonight?"

His breath smelled like alcohol, and his speech definitely confirmed that they were not going anywhere else tonight. Not with him driving.

She smiled sweetly at him, and stood to give him a hug. He sagged into her and tried to kiss her but she turned her head. _Not tonight, you don't._ She slipped his keys off of his belt and tried to push him away.

"Come on, let me kiss you, Beth!"

He pulled her face to his and forced his lips against hers. Beth was shocked, surprised that Jimmy was doing this. What had happened to her Jimmy? He took hold of her waist and pulled her into him, his hands felt around her hips, and moved up her sides.

"Jimmy, stop!"

"Shh…"

He was reaching for her chest now, and Beth stomped on his foot and shoved him.

"I said stop!"

She ran for his truck, and he stumbled after her for a little bit, cursing and laughing. It was hard to see through the tears in her eyes, but she found his truck and locked herself in it. That drunk dimwit probably wouldn't be able to find his own truck right now, so she locked the doors and slid down to the floor and cried. She was hurt and angry and surprised, and not in the way she hoped to be surprised tonight.

She sniffed and shoved the keys into the ignition. Turning on the headlights she drove up the driveway. The driveway finally ended, and she wasn't sure whether she should go right or left up the road, but she just picked right and hoped it was, well, right.

She didn't feel bad about leaving Jimmy there tonight, it was probably better he stay there and sober up. She saw a gas station up ahead and decided to pull over there to ask for directions. Hopefully there weren't any creeps out. As Beth pulled into a space in front of the store, she saw someone inside at the counter checking out.

"You've got to be kidding me."

It was none other than Daryl Dixon.

She hesitated for a moment, but she was feeling bolder than normal after her anger with Jimmy. She swung open her door and stood so she could pop her head over the cab of the truck.

"H-hey Daryl!"

He stopped and turned around, an unlit cigarette between his fingers.

"Well if it ain't the berry picker."

"Listen, I'm sure you don't wanna talk to me, but I've had a really crappy night and I just wanna go home."

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Then go home, girl."

Daryl started to turn around but Beth called out after him, "I don't know which way!"

His mouth twitched in what she thought would have been a smile on any other face. "Did you miss the signs?"


	2. We'd Be Happy

**Thanks to 1rockstar, Choop2009, and Tweety83 for being my first three followers! You guys are awesome, and I give you each 1,000 points ;)**

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Daryl looked at her then, those big eyes of hers wide and her mouth hanging open. He sure did like the way he got under her skin. What on earth was she doing all the way out here though? He watched as she hopped out of the truck and walked towards him. She looked all proper and clean in her dress, and he thought about grinning. She was looking more like a woman, and less like the girl he had seen around town with her sister.

"You of'en go for late night rides looking like that? Might send some fellas the wrong message."

He could tell she didn't like that comment. Especially after he felt the sting of her hand on his face. He grinned. She was fierier than she looked.

"Shut up, Daryl! Can't you just tell me which way to go?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, then proceeded to light his cigarette. He took the first drag and blew the smoke past his lips, making sure he blew over his shoulder. Good girls didn't like to smell like cheap vices.

He nodded to the truck. "That yours?"

She hesitated, looking a little less wild than before. "It is tonight."

"What, you steal it or somethin'? You shouldn't steal, Miss Greene, it don't suit you."

"If you have to know, it belongs to my ex-boyfriend. He's currently down that road," she pointed to the direction she came from, "drinking and partying. I wanted to go home, so I…borrowed…it."

"Ain't you just full of surprises."

"You don't know me, _Mr. Dixon._ "

He looked at her for a long moment. Something glinted in her eyes that he recognized, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He found his eyes leaving hers and traveling across her body. He'd never really paid much attention to Beth Greene, figuring she was just another well-off prissy girl. Taking another drag of his cigarette he paid attention to her hair, and how it fell down past her shoulders. It was almost like gold and he liked the way its gentle curls framed her face.

He shook his head, didn't need to be thinking those kinds of thoughts.

"I do know that you ain't gonna be going anywhere in that truck tonight."

Beth's brow furrowed and she crossed her arms.

"See?" Daryl pointed to the flat back tire. "That's just about ready to come of the wheel it's so flat. Get on the highway like that and you'll be stuck there."

She turned around, the wind from her movement rippling the bottom of her dress and briefly showing more of her legs. Daryl made a point to look up at the back of her head. He watched quietly as she pulled out her cell phone, presumably trying to think of who to call.

"You could call Dale." He offered.

She looked hesitant, probably because she was too gentle of a thing to want to wake up the old man. She tapped her heel for a moment and then rubbed her bottom lip with the side of her finger. He only noticed because… He didn't know why he noticed.

"Or you could jus' ride with me," he shrugged. "Going back that way anyhow."

Why the hell did he just say that? Turning around quickly, he went to toss his used up cigarette into the giant ash tray outside the convenience store. No need to add littering to the long list of things that are wrong with Daryl Dixon. That, and it gave him a few seconds away from the girl. Why did she keep popping up today, anyways? He'd grown up here, left with Merle when he was 16, and had only wandered back here a few years ago. The Greene's were popular in town, so he sure enough saw them around, but they never spent time with the Dixons. Who could blame 'em? Today was probably just a fluke, probably wouldn't see much of the girl.

"I…I…" Beth ran her fingers through her hair and looked in the back of the truck. "I don't think he has a spare. I'd call Dale or Martinez but… Could you do me a favor?"

He just looked back at her. _Ain't it enough of a favor to drive you back?_

"Could you not tell anyone about this?"

His eyes narrowed. "Not tell 'em that your boy's a dumbass or not tell 'em that you were 'ssociating with a Dixon man?"

Beth looked down at her feet, the fiery girl she was a few minutes ago all watered down.

"Don't matter. Just get in."

He pulled open the door of his own truck and started it up. She came around and Daryl thought she looked like a bunny about to walk past a real hungry dog. He knew he and Merle didn't have a great reputation, and didn't deserve one either, but was he really that scary to this girl? It just reminded him how much Merle tended to make things worse for him. Daryl didn't do a lot of the things Merle did, even if he witnessed most of them. Merle looked out for him when they were growing up, better than anyone else did, so Daryl thought he should try to keep his brother from doing any really messed up stuff. Even if Merle was in jail right now, it was just cause of drugs and not something worse like it could have been.

He glanced over at Beth, she hadn't said a word and was looking out the window. What'd she see that was so interesting?

"You still livin' with your folks?" he asked.

Beth's hand went up to her face, and she cleared her throat delicately. The voice that came out of her lips was shaky and quiet, but he heard her confirmation.

Wait, was she crying? He pressed the gas pedal down a little farther, wanting this ride to be over with. It wasn't long before he was finally turning into the long driveway to her daddy's farm. He pulled up as close as he dared to the house, not really wanting to draw attention to himself or the fact that he had just driven Beth Greene home late at night. He expected her to hop out as soon as the truck stopped moving, but she just sat there instead. Her eyes were open and unblinking, so he knew she wasn't asleep. The truck started feeling warm, and he fidgeted in his seat.

"You need somethin', Greene?"

She sighed and let her head fall back to the headrest. "No… I just feel real stupid. I thought we could still be happy. I should've known he didn't quit drinking. Dunno why I thought he was still the Jimmy I knew."

Oh great, she was talking to him about that dumbass. He could have told her a lot about Jimmy. He wasn't so great before he went off to college neither. Daryl had seen him doing some stuff that no pretty girl like Beth would be proud of. He didn't know what she saw in that kid. He also had no idea what to do in this situation. Daryl didn't often offer girls rides, didn't often even talk to girls, or anyone for that matter.

He was trying to think of something to say when Beth turned to look at him. "But I don't think I should be the one feeling guilty and stupid. He was the one that messed up, and I tried to make it work." She shook her head. "I'm not gonna cry anymore."

Daryl just mumbled a reply, not really sure what she was expecting from him. _Why is it is so damn hot all of a sudden?_

"Thanks for the ride, Daryl." She gave him a small smile, and whispered, "I won't tell anyone you gave me a ride, don't wanna ruin your reputation."

 _Was that a joke?_

As soon as she closed the door, he nodded and took off down the driveway, thankful to be alone in his truck again. What the hell had just happened?

* * *

Maggie stood on the porch, watching as Beth got out of a truck she didn't recognize. She stood there for a moment and watched the truck rumble down the drive before turning and walking towards the house. Maggie could tell by the way she walked and held herself that she was upset, and she wondered what had happened since Beth had hung up earlier.

"You okay, sis?"

Beth looked up, her eyes were red like she had been crying, but they were dry now.

"Yeah. Well, no. I mean, I will be. It's just…I trusted Jimmy and it didn't work out. You should have seen him tonight, he wasn't the guy I used to love."

Maggie nodded, a little happy on the inside that her sister was on the way to getting over Jimmy. Ever since he had cheated on Bethy, Maggie had written him off. "Who dropped you off?"

"Uhh… You really wanna know?"

Maggie looked at her sister questioningly. "Now more than before!"

Beth sighed and looked back down the driveway, she couldn't see the tail lights anymore. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She gave Maggie a hug and thanked her for waiting up, then went inside and shut the door.

Maggie stood outside a little longer, wondering just who had taken Beth home that she would want to keep a secret.

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 **Thanks so much for reading, everyone! If you liked it, please lemme know in the reviews :) I'd love to hear from you!**


	3. Free From Him

**Shout out to Kshawbee and castlefan83 for following this story! Also, thank you to those who have reviewed! I really thrive on positive reinforcement! It may help chapters come out longer and faster, too ;) Thanks for reading!**

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Beth sat down behind the counter and flipped open the phone book. Jenny had wanted her to call the "repair guys" and have them fix the plumbing that was leaking. "One thing a library doesn't need is water all over the place" she had said.

Jenny and Morgan moved into the area pretty recently, and one of the first things they had done was purchase the old library. They were still fixing it up, but it was at least open now, and somewhat stocked with books. Beth decided to work here as her summer job, because she loved the quiet time and it gave her a chance to work on her music. It helped that Beth was able to run the store by herself now, though Jenny or Morgan stopped by almost every day to check on her and the building in general.

"Hello, this is Beth from the Days Gone Bye Library. I'm doing well, you? Yes, we have some pipes that seem to be leaking, and we were wondering if you could send someone down to fix it up? Wednesday? Let me double check… Yup, Wednesday looks great. Yes sir, we are open from nine to seven. Thanks, bye!"

She picked up a pen and scribbled a note on the desk calendar, using a highlighter to make it more obvious. Just to be sure that Haley wouldn't miss it, she put a sticky note on the mini fridge. She also added a smiley face to the note, just in case.

 _Ding._

The door up front had opened, and Beth made her way back to the counter.

"Oh hi Mrs. Jones!"

"Sweetie, I've told you to call me Jenny. How are you today?"

Beth smiled, "I'm good. Oh, I just called Martinez, and he will be sending a guy out on Wednesday."

 _Ding._

Morgan Jones walked in with their son, Duane, at his side. "Hello everyone!"

Duane waved before running off to the comic section, and Beth and Morgan shared knowing smiles. They had just received a shipment earlier in the day and it contained some early Superman comics, and Superman was his favorite.

"So, Beth said the repair guys will be here on Wednesday."

Morgan nodded his head and looked back to Beth. "Did Jenny tell you what we are planning on doing?"

Beth looked back inquiringly. "No…?"

"I can't believe I forgot!" Jenny immediately brightened. "Well, starting with the plumbing, we're going to be freshening up the building some. Last summer we were just trying to get this place working again, but now we want to make it a place that people can actually come and sit in and enjoy being in. So we are actually going to be expanding the building so we can have cozy seats and expand our inventory!"

"Wow, that's great!" Beth was genuinely excited, though she did wonder what the noise level was going to be like. "Will you still be open?"

"Don't worry, we will still need your help for a lot of the time they are doing the building, but the store will be closed for at least a month."

"Well I'm excited for the changes! I'm sure everyone else is too. Or will be when you announce it, anyways!"

Jenny smiled at Beth and then took Morgan's hand. "Come on into the office, I wanna show you some of the color swatches I was looking at earlier."

With Duane reading and his parents in the office, the place was quiet again. She tidied up the counter and desk area, even though she kept it fairly organized all though the day. It was never really busy here, but they had a steady stream of business most days.

Beth felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and she groaned quietly. It was probably Jimmy. Again. It had been two weeks since the party, and he still couldn't believe she didn't want to be with him anymore. Truthfully, she realized that she hadn't really wanted to be with him for a long time now. She realized the night of the party that she had been holding on to a person that was walking down a different path, and it wasn't a path she wanted to be on.

She glanced at her phone. Yup, it was Jimmy. She'd let it go to voicemail. _Why does he wanna be with me so bad? We're nothing alike anymore…_ Beth almost wondered if she had gotten over him too quickly, but she shut down those thoughts. If she was over him, it didn't really matter how fast it happened.

"…And that's why I don't think we should paint the place 'coral', dear."

Beth looked up from her phone, and saw Morgan and Jenny walking towards her again, Jenny looking a little wistfully at her coral color swatches.

"Good news, Beth! The lady and I are gonna be here debating colors all night, so you can have the night off."

"You guys sure?"

Jenny was looking at the coral swatches with a new intensity. "Oh yes. We've got a lot to discuss!"

Laughing, Beth picked up her bag and hurried out of the store, not wanting to have to pick sides. She walked down the street some before remembering that she was gonna meet Maggie at the Corner Diner. She picked up her phone and texted Maggie that she was off early, "and hungry" she added.

She walked in to the Diner, and spotted Carol serving drinks to Rick and his family. A nice bunch, and a baby on the way. Beth chose a booth towards the back, by one of the bigger windows. She liked the way the light spilled onto the table and illuminated the wall the booth was against. Carol was with her only a moment later.

"Hey Beth, you look pretty as ever today."

"So you heard about the breakup, huh?" Beth knew Carol, and Carol always tried to make her feel better by showering her in compliments. Not that she minded terribly, it did feel good, after all.

"Yeah, I did. But you know what? You deserve someone who can give you the moon!"

Beth lifted her lips in a small smile. It made her sad that she couldn't take her own advice. The whole town knew that Ed was a rough man. Carol never said anything though, not really, so no one could do much about it.

"What can I get you to drink, dear?"

"Just a water is good, thanks. Oh, and before I forget…"

Beth pulled a copy of Jack London's _The Call of the Wild_ and handed it to Carol.

"Here's the book you were asking for. It's actually my personal copy, so when you're done, you can just give it back to me. Not the library," she clarified.

Carol thanked her and went to check on the Grimes family. Meanwhile, Beth pulled out her notebook. The cover was a washed out mossy color fabric, and a simple black elastic band kept the book closed. She had actually bought it a few towns over, and she felt it helped her write her songs. She flipped over to song she was currently working on, and poured over it awhile. She wanted to find different ways to say all the things that had been said before. She stayed there for a long while, waiting for Maggie. Eventually Maggie came, and they shared a mostly pleasant dinner.

Really nothing out of the ordinary happened until Wednesday, and Beth was sitting in the quiet library. She wore her hair up today, in a simple ponytail. She didn't normally dress up for work, but she decided to wear another summer dress today. It was a simple dress with a sweetheart top and cool fabric that fell to mid-thigh. Her favorite thing about it was the way she felt when she twirled in it.

 _Ding_.

The bell alerted her to a customer, and she looked up, ready to greet them with a smile. "Welcome to Days Gone Bye, how can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm here to work on the plumbing."

"Oh okay, great. It will be really nice to have that working again, you have no idea!"

The guy nodded like he did have an idea, because he presumably heard that a lot. He was about the same height as her, and seemed like he was just a few years older, too.

"If you follow me, I can show you to the bathroom."

She left him in the bathroom, and went back to the front counter. He was kinda cute. She'd have to get his name before he left. That shouldn't be too hard.

* * *

Daryl walked into the Corner Diner for lunch, like he did every Wednesday. He sat at a booth in the back. He liked it because with his back to the wall he didn't have to look over his shoulders and could see the entrances, and the window next to him allowed him to see a good portion of the street. It was a more comforting location than sitting in the middle of the diner.

Carol came over to him and brought him a sweet tea and a turkey sandwich with no tomatoes and two pickles on the side. He liked Carol, and he nodded a thank you to her. She understood that he didn't really like talking all the time, and she didn't judge him.

"Enjoy, dear." She told him, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze. "When you're done, I've got a little surprise for you."

Daryl shrugged it off, she probably just wanted to give him a cookie or something. She was always treating him like he was one of her kids. Carol was almost like a mother to him, even though they weren't nearly that far apart in age. She tried to understand him and be there for him like no one else did, not even Merle. Truth be told, he looked after her too, in a way. In return, he tried to keep her safe from Ed and his drunken, stupid, violent self. There wasn't a whole lot he could do, but he did give Ed some good bruises and payback whenever Daryl could see that Carol was hurt.

Carol came back around to clean up his plates and brought him a sweet tea in a to-go cup. She also set a book down in front of him. "This is the book I was telling you about. You said you didn't read much of the books they assigned in school."

"Try 'none'." He sneered.

"I think you should try this one. You might even find it relatable, pookie."

There was a white piece of paper in the book, and he pulled it out. It was a flyer advertising construction work in town at the end of the month.

"I thought you might be tired of driving a couple counties over for work, and when I saw this….well I had to pick one up for you."

"Mmm." He grumbled. He'd be finished with that job soon anyways, so he'd would look into it.


	4. Insecurities

**Well it is finally starting to get real now! Enjoy the read, and thanks to my latest followers UnderElectricCandlelight and camdylan!**

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Daryl walked out of the diner with his drink in hand and the book under his arm. It was a hot one today, the kind of heat that made you wonder if you were melting instead of sweating. He took another look at the flyer Carol had handed him, skimming briefly _...Experienced construction workers needed...great pay…good cause…Ask for Morgan at the Days Gone Bye library._

The library was right down the road, and he figured he should find Morgan sooner rather than later. They probably wouldn't be hiring many workers for a small place like the library. Daryl passed by his truck and left the book in it, not really wanting anyone to see him with a kid's book.

He opened up the library door, noting the construction flyers taped to the windows, and welcomed the feel of the fan above him.

 _Ding._

Daryl stood up front, waiting by the desk. He heard some laughter in the back and shuffled his feet. There were too many people around here who laughed too much.

"Some business they're runnin'…" he grumbled under his breath. He noticed a second bell on the counter and rang it irritably. Stalking an animal in the woods for hours was worth being patient for, it was just when other people got involved in a situation that Daryl felt agitated and impatient. He hit it once more for good measure.

Daryl heard a female voice say something, and he crossed his arms. Whoever it was, they were coming down the steps now.

"I'm sorry about that, I was helping out our plumber. We've been havi—"

It was Beth Greene. Again. She looked surprised to see him here. Her eyes were wide when she came to a halt at the bottom of the staircase. Her blue dress swinging gently at her thighs from her quick stop.

"H-having problems." She continued hesitantly. "Can I help you, Mr. Dixon?"

"You can start by not callin' me that." He hated that, it reminded him of his dad.

"Okay…" She spoke slowly, like she was afraid of startling him. _I aint' some deer, girl._

Daryl held out the flyer Carol had given him earlier. "Lookin' for work."

"Oh, all right."

He watched the girl out of the corner of his eyes as she walked to the other side of the counter. The back of his neck itched and he rubbed it, it was like her nerves were jumping onto him like a bug. Why the hell was she so nervous around him? He hadn't ever done nothing to her.

"Morgan isn't in today, but I could give him a call if you like."

Daryl looked at her, unsure if that was all she had to say.

"Uhm. Or, well, you could by tomorrow around noon, he should be in then."

Before he could stop himself he asked, "Will you be in then?" And if Merle had been there he would have never heard the end of it. Daryl knew what the question had sounded like, but that wasn't how he'd meant it. It wasn't that he wanted to see her, it was the opposite, actually. She was obviously afraid of him, and for no reason other than his reputation, at least he assumed that was her problem. Something had obviously changed since he'd dropped her off that one night, but he was clueless as to what. Now she was just another person in town who judged him based on his brother and his family name.

She was looking at him, her mouth open a little in surprise still.

Daryl picked up a pen from the desk and wrote down something on the back of his flyer before pushing it across the counter towards her.

"Here. Tell him to call." He turned and left the store, and even though he missed the cool library air, the bracing heat was a relief from the tension back at the library. Hell, if she was gonna be like that every time he saw her, he might not take the job. He picked a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it in a hurry, feeling the need to relax. It didn't take long for the cigarette to take effect, and he felt his shoulders loosen. Wasn't as good as the stuff he used to do with Merle, but at least this was legal.

Daryl was used to the people in town looking down on him, he probably deserved it anyways. Back when they were kids, he and his brother used to do a lot of hell raising and stupid crap. Then the stupid stuff turned into dangerous stuff. Merle tried to pin some crime on Daryl once, and that was when Daryl started to clean up his act. Luckily Rick was a smart man and knew Daryl wasn't involved in that particular event. Daryl had actually started to like Rick, 'cause Rick wasn't afraid of Daryl. The two of them had actually formed something like a friendship, and Rick did his best to put Daryl on a straighter path.

Even though Daryl had been lying low for years now, the town still remembered Merle and their father, so Daryl got lumped in with them. Daryl knew Rick vouched for him, but even then, the sheriff could only sway people but so much.

Dust flew up behind him as he traveled down the gravel road, away from town and into the woods. He was surprised when he found himself thinking about Beth Greene. Her blue dress had made her wide blue eyes look bright, and even if she had been nervous, she was a pretty thing.

He shook his head, and pressed a little harder on the gas. Didn't need to be thinking anything like that. She was just a girl, and she probably thought he was an old man. But still, those blue eyes were on his mind as passed by the driveway he knew led to her house.

He needed another cigarette.

* * *

Beth sat down at her desk in the library, Morgan was talking to Daryl over the phone at the counter. She bounced her leg nervously, and tried to focus on the lists she was making. It sounded like the conversation was going well though, and she wondered if she'd be seeing more of Daryl Dixon. She wiped her palms on her shorts. Even just thinking of him made her nervous. It hadn't hit her until she was lying in bed the night that he had taken her home that he was Daryl Dixon. Well, she knew who he was, but she remembered why that was such a big deal. Everyone knew the stories about the Dixon brothers.

"I'll see you in two weeks then, Mr. Dixon." Morgan hung up the phone and started jotting something down on his calendar.

"So did you hire him?" Beth asked.

"Mhmm."

Beth fidgeted with her pen. "Don't you know what they say about him?"

Morgan didn't look up from his work. "Don't you know you shouldn't gossip?"

"Well yeah, but…"

"I'm not a fool Beth. I talked to Rick and got his opinion. He assured me Daryl would be a good fit for this job, and that anyone else here would be safe. Besides, I hear he does good work."

Beth nodded her head, embarrassed that she had spoken the way she did. She'd avoid telling her dad the specifics of the construction crew, and hopefully it'd be well under way before he found out she was in proximity with a Dixon man. If he found out at all.

That just meant she had to find a way to act like a normal person around Daryl. Whenever was around she felt different. At first she had felt very bold around him, she even got him to stop hunting that deer a few weeks back. And when he had driven her home, and she had felt safe then. Or maybe she was still reeling from the realization that she didn't love Jimmy and so she was just acting on impulse then. Oh man, all this thought about Daryl was making her head hurt.

"Oh, and Beth. That plumber kid wanted to come pick up the bill personally." He winked at her. "I think he wanted to see you again."

She could feel her cheeks turn crimson and she nodded quickly. "Thanks for telling me."

She heard Morgan chuckle and he went back into his office.

What in the world was happening? Maybe the heat was boiling everyone's brains and they were slowly losing their minds. Kinda like a Twilight Zone episode or something. She walked over to the front door and flipped the sign to say they were closed. A box of new books had arrived today, and she was just now getting a chance to put categorize them and put them on the shelves. It felt a little silly to put them up when they'd all be in boxes again soon, but Jenny had insisted. She picked up the book on top, noticing it was a thick comic book. Upon inspection she noticed it was about zombies or something. It seemed like a strange thing to put down in comic form, and she thought it looked like it should be a TV show or something. She set it aside and shuddered, glad she didn't have to deal with zombies. Daryl Dixon paled in comparison to the undead.

Daryl. What on earth was she going to do with him? She recalled the way he had looked at her earlier, when she had been surprised to see him standing in the library. For a moment, the corner of his mouth turned up, and she wondered if he was smiling. She kind of liked it, now that she thought about it. It always made her feel good to make other people happy. Daryl was different though, as much as he made her nervous, she found herself wanting to make him really smile. Morgan was right about second chances, and her daddy had raised her to be kind. She decided then that she'd have to get rid some of her misgivings and insecurities when it came to Daryl Dixon. She'd try to make his time at the library good, and not uncomfortable, for both of their sakes.


	5. Afraid of Me

Hey guys, sorry it has taken so long for this chapter to come out. Had some good/bad life things going on that I had to deal with. Also, this story originally started out because I wanted something that was purely fun to work on. I'm working on writing an actual book, but that takes a lot more effort and work than this story does! This just flows and is a fun way to think of Daryl and Beth :) Basically, this is stress relief writing, haha~ Anyways, I will do my best to update this more regularly. Enjoy!

* * *

Daryl was sitting in the diner, at the bar rather than his usual spot since it was taken by Beth. He'd gone here just about every Wednesday and somehow he managed to sit in the same spot…until he started working this job. It seemed like that little blonde girl was always around nowadays. But Beth wasn't the only one who started to frequent the diner. Axel and Morales, the other guys on the job, were sitting at a table in the middle of the diner, and a few other patrons were scattered about the place too.

Carol brought him the blue plate special, a slab of meatloaf with a smiley face made of gravy on top. "You look deep in thought, pookie."

Daryl grunted and picked up his fork, taking a stab at the potatoes on the plate.

Carol looked at him, a small smile on her face, before she left to check on her other customers. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her stop at his table, which was currently not his table. He focused on his food and thought about the work he'd be going back to. The first week had been a bit chaotic, with Beth and Jenny were busy reorganizing the library, packing up the less requested books and moving the rest out of the way of the Daryl and the other workers. Even though it felt like the ladies were putting the boxes under the guy's feet.

Jenny was nice enough, but Beth still acted like a mouse around him. He was used to people being rude to him, but this felt different. This actually bothered him.

"She lookin' at me, Carol?"

"Who?"

"The only girl in here 'cept you."

Carol grinned. "This is a surprise! I wouldn't have guessed she was your type, Daryl."

"That's because she ain't. Just feels like she's been watching me or something."

"Maybe she wants to talk to you?" She nudged him playfully, "probably thinks you're a hunk."

Daryl rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment. He liked Carol, so her prodding didn't make him mad, but he was starting to feel awkward. He never talked about this stuff to anyone.

"Nah, I don't think so." Daryl resisted the urge to look towards Beth. She was probably busy writing in her notebook and wouldn't notice, but he didn't wanna risk it. Wasn't even sure why he felt the urge to look at her at all. "I don't think she likes me much." He downed some of his beer with a grimace.

"Oh, don't be mopey, it doesn't suit you."

He shrugged her comment off, even though he knew she was right.

"She looks at me like I'm gonna go off on her any minute!" His voice was low, but emphatic. "I ain't never done nothing mean to her either."

"You know how girls her age are!" At his blank stare, Carol paused. "Well, maybe not. All you have to do is show her you've got a soft heart." She winked at him.

Daryl mumbled under his breath, shaking his head lightly and hiding an amused grin behind locks of his unruly hair.

"Here's a good opportunity now, I think."

He popped his head up at Carol's remark. She smiled and looked beyond him. Curious, Daryl looked over his shoulder and saw Beth coming towards the counter.

 _Damnit._

He didn't feel like practicing any "soft hearted" behaviors today. Instead he dug in to his food with a renewed fervor. He'd just ignore her for now.

"Good afternoon, Carol! Lunch was amazing as always." Daryl heard Beth chime as she set her used plate and utensils on the counter. "Can I trade you these dishes for one with a slice of pie, please?"

"Of course you can, hun. You're the only one who cleans up after yourself around here."

Beth beamed and took a seat at a stool one down from where Daryl was sitting. He noticed because he snuck a glance in when he reached for his drink. Was he supposed to say hello now? Was that what people did in these situations?

"Hey," he managed, meeting her eyes for a moment. _I'm an idiot._

Beth's smiled dimmed a little and she lifted her hand in an awkward wave. "Hey yourself."

Daryl had no idea what to say to that, so he just nodded his head and hoped Carol was gonna show up again soon. He also had no idea why she made him feel so…nervous. But it wasn't quite nervousness, not exactly. He almost liked the feeling.

"You…like pie?"

She seemed to notice he was awkward when it came to small talk, and it must be spreading from him to her, because she shifted on the stool. "Haha, yup… Carol makes the best. You?"

"Yeah. Better than mine."

He looked over at her again, just in time to see her eyes widen. "You make pie?"

Daryl almost spit his beer out, but managed to swallow it and cough instead. Carol finally showed up again, and seemed to really be enjoying the scene she happened upon.

"What in the world happened here? I was only gone a minute!"

Maybe it was the beer working in his system with his nerves, but the absurdity of the situation made Daryl laugh out loud, and he had trouble telling Carol that Beth thought he made pies in his spare time.

Beth's cheeks were flushed, and Daryl's too, and Carol watched them both as she handed Beth her pie and took away Daryl's plates.

"Yo, Daryl! Come on, our lunch break is just about up."

"I'm commin'." Daryl folded up his tip for Carol and left it on the counter. "See ya soon," he said to Beth. "Thanks for lunch, Carol."

Carol pocketed his tip and winked at him, "Just givin' you what you pay me for. Now go work hard!"

Daryl left the diner that day and thought the sky seemed a little brighter. As he headed back to the library, walking a ways behind Axel and Morales, he thought about his lunch. He was nervous and uncomfortable in the diner with Beth and all that came with her, but he found himself wanting to go back in and keep fumbling over words with her and Carol.

Daryl stopped when he caught himself looking back towards the diner. Who was he kidding, that girl didn't want anything to do with him. Not in the way he was thinking with her.

 _What in the hell is wrong with me today?_

He hadn't thought of being with a girl in that way in a long time, and Beth really was a girl, not nearly as old as him. Thinking back, he remembered seeing some good looking girls around, but he knew a one night stand wouldn't help ease his loneliness and he sure as hell didn't like how he felt in the morning.

No, since he'd settled into a routine that didn't involve Merle, he didn't do a lot of stuff anymore. Hadn't quit alcohol or smoking yet though, but in the grand scheme of things he didn't think either of those mattered much so long as he didn't get carried away. Daryl let his thoughts stray farther and farther from the diner and the girl inside of it, and he once again sunk into himself. Just before he opened the library door, he noticed the clouds in the sky looked darker than before.

"-and I just want to make sure the rain doesn't come in through those holes Axel made in the roof yesterday."

"Hey! I said I was sorry about that."

"Next time tell me when you don't know how to do something instead of just doing it, okay? Daryl, will you go ahead and fasten some tarps over that section of the roof?"

Daryl nodded and headed back out to Morales' truck to grab the supersized tarp. Already, raindrops were starting to fall from the sky, sploshing the pavement with little slapping sounds. The tarp was heavy, and had weights sewn into the edges to keep it from blowing away easily, a clever thing Morales asked his wife to make for him. But very difficult for one person to carry while climbing a ladder during any sort of rain, even if it was light. Even folded and tied conveniently, it was an awkward bundle to get up the ladder. Somehow he managed though, after a good struggle, and he carried it cautiously to the damaged section of the roof.

"That looks dangerous! Please don't fall, Daryl."

 _Beth?_ Daryl set down the tarp and looked down towards the voice. Beth stood near the ladder, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, presumably protecting herself from the offending raindrops.

"I won't," he called.

"Shouldn't someone be helping you?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he untied the tarp and started to spread it out, but realized she probably couldn't see the motion. "Nah, I got it."

A few minutes later he was finished and satisfied that the rain wouldn't get in the library. Treading the slick roof carefully, he slid only a little bit before making it back to the ladder. He was happy to be off the roof, especially since the rain was picking up now.

"I thought you'd never finish!"

"What're you still doing out here? Gonna freeze out here, girl."

She was standing under the ledge of the room, and was mostly out of the rain. Her tank top and shorts would have been perfect for any sunny Georgia day, but this rain was comparatively chilly, and he spied goosebumps on her arms.

"Someone had to make sure you didn't fall off and get hurt. If you did, you'd need someone to call 9-1-1, you know?"

He was surprised that she was looking out for him, it was a thing he only expected from Carol or Rick. He liked it though.

Daryl nodded his head, wet bangs sticking to his forehead. "C'mon, let's get inside since I ain't lyin' on the ground in pieces."

The air conditioned library felt cold even on Daryl's skin, and he thought Beth must be even colder. Carol had pointed out earlier that he didn't know much about girls, but he did know they always complained about the temperature. Especially the cold.

"Everything good, Daryl?"

"Mhm, tarp covers the damaged shingles."

"Alright, well the school just called and said my daughter broke her arm jumping off the swingset. Miranda is away visiting her sister in Birmingham this week, so I gotta go pick up Eliza."

Axel interrupted, "and Morales is my ride, so I gotta go with him."

"Since neither of us will be here, I don't expect you to stay either, Daryl. Consider it a half day."

"Hope your girl's okay, man. I'll stay though, work on the old walls what not. Don't got much else to do."

Morales thanked Daryl and told him to keep track of how long he worked so Morales could pay him accurately. Then they left, leaving Daryl alone in the library with Beth.


	6. Trust Me

**Whew, sorry for the long wait, everyone! School is back in session and it has been really hard for me to find time to write. Thanks for being patient, and hopefully you won't have to wait so long again!**

* * *

Daryl took off his damp jean jacket and left it on the floor near the door. In an attempt to divert her attention from his newly revealed muscular arms, she thought of reasons why someone would cut the sleeves off of a perfectly good button up shirt. Despite this, her cheeks felt a little warm and so she walked to the back room, ducking through plastic sheets hanging in the doorway.

She walked to the small kitchen in the break room and filled her mug with water from the sink, taking a drink. Lately, she'd been feeling a little crazy. Okay, more than a little crazy, if she was being honest with herself. She knew she wanted to be calm, cool, and collected around Daryl, but that was turning out to be a lot harder than she expected. The stories about him and his family made her nervous. The fact that he tended to be gruff and had this quiet, but noticeable, I-could-take-you-out-if-I-wanted-to attitude also made her nervous. But she was realizing that she also found him attractive.

She took another sip of her water.

She'd only just recently become single, and she didn't like that she already thought two guys were cute. Well, Zach was cute, but Daryl was something else. She shouldn't even be thinking about other guys. She should be taking the opportunity to focus on what she wanted to make of herself.

Unbidden, memories from the night she left Jimmy at the party came to the forefront of her mind. She recalled slapping Daryl's cheek after one of his bold comments, and she sighed. She must have looked like a lunatic that night. And the next time she saw him, and the time after that.

Beth sighed, sitting on a stool by the small window in the kitchen. The rain was pouring heavily now, and the wind looked like it was picking up. She listened to the sounds outside, and though they were dimmed by the walls and ceiling, they still calmed her. The past couple of weeks, Beth had watched how Carol treated Daryl at lunch. Carol was a flower that blossomed while her husband was away, and faded when he was around. Most everyone in town knew that Ed was abusive, but Carol never pressed charges or anything… Beth realized though, that she treated Daryl special. She didn't know what their relationship was, but it made Daryl look a lot less like someone she should stay away from. Beth wanted to know more about Daryl, he was a mystery to her, and the more she was around him, the more she wanted to absorb about him.

Beth decided she should go ahead and be productive, since she obviously wouldn't solve any of the Daryl-based mysteries in one sitting. She walked down the short hallway, slipping between the plastic again and went to the desk. Looking over at Daryl, he had his back to her and seemed to be stripping the old wallpaper from the walls. She checked her to-do list. The only thing she had left to do was get an order ready, but the heavy rain prevented her from getting the books from the cellar outside.

"Do you need any help," she decided to ask.

Daryl heard her, despite the low volume of her voice. She knew, because he looked over his shoulder a moment before mumbling some form of "no".

She looked at the clock. Only six hours until she could close up and go home. Bored, and with nothing left to do, she reached for her sketchbook. Her old art teacher in high school said the best way to practice was to draw what was in front of you. In a way, her sketchbooks ended up being something like a diary for her. They were filled with scenes she watched unfold, partially formed lyrics and stories, and each page was like an entry.

Beth picked up a pen and started on the scene in front of her. She captured Daryl's forgotten jacket lying on the floor, the storm blowing outside the big, glass windows, and of course the plaid shirt wearing worker peeling wallpaper.

A short, grating sort of sound made her look up. Daryl paused in his own work, having also noticed the sound. There were a few more short bursts, before one last, long scrape. Beth stood up and walked to the window by the staircase.

"Uh oh… I think your friend is running away."

Daryl looked at her for a moment, blankly, before she saw recognition in his eyes. He leapt to his feet and hurried to the door, pausing only a moment before rushing into the rain. Beth watched through the window as he went after the tarp that had blown off from the roof. Apparently the wind was blowing hard enough to blow it off the roof, but on the ground the tarp was pretty slow moving. It looked like Daryl was saying something, probably complaining to himself about the rain or the tarp, but Beth smiled because from inside the nice, dry building the whole scene was rather comical.

Beth remembered that Jenny had brought over some old towels in case the plumbing decided to leak again. So she ran up the stairs and grabbed them, and when she reached the last step on her way back down, Daryl was at the door. He stood there, dripping and looking a bit annoyed, but he was carrying a plastic bag in his hand.

"Jenny had these upstairs in case the plumbing went bad again. I don't think she'd care if you used them."

Daryl nodded and took them from her, and she felt his rough hands graze hers for a brief moment.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

Why did he always talk like it was such an effort to get words past his lips? "It's no problem. Zach fixed it pretty well, I think. I mean, I don't know a lot about plumbing, but…" She let her sentence trail. He was still standing in front of her, towels in one hand and bag in the other. If he were a dog, she'd swear his ears were perked up and angled towards her. "But yeah, I don't know a lot about anything useful, really."

His eyes finally broke contact with her face and she breathed a little easier.

"Why don'tcha learn something useful then?"

Daryl dropped the bag and started using one of the towels to dry himself off, starting with his face and hair.

"It isn't because I can't, or don't want to. I just don't really know where to start." She smiled a little. "When I was little, I always said I wanted to be a singer. But I know that that isn't exactly realistic, so I'm trying to think of something else to do that makes money."

He grunted, his version of "I'm still listening".

"I thought about maybe going to business school, but I don't really know what kind of store I'd open. Maybe a little art studio? We don't have one in town, or nearby. But I also thought about going in to psychology."

Daryl reached into the plastic bag and pulled out an old looking t-shirt. In a few quick movements he had replaced his wet shirt with the dry one, and Beth talked a little faster before she caught herself looking at his chest. He had tattoos. And maybe scars? Definitely had muscles.

"Come 'ere."

"Hmm?"

"I'm gonna show you how to do something useful."

She smiled, and tucked a piece of her unruly hair behind her ear. "Oh! Okay."

He moved some old trim out of the way for her, and handed her a tool and a spray bottle.

"Are you a lefty?"

She shook her head, and he nodded his."

"Okay. Hold the bottle in your left hand, and the 'scraper' in your right. Work in sections, spray first, let it soak, then scrape. Don't needta go drownin' the wall or nothing, but the liquid will help loosen up the wallpaper glue."

"Oh, this will be easy!" She grinned confidently at him, and looked away when she felt her cheeks start to feel a little warm. Something about his eyes messed with her inner thermometer. She sprayed and the scraped, like he said. She had been watching him earlier, but he made it look a lot easier.

"How did you get it to come off in big pieces? I feel like I'm grating cheese over here."

He smirked a little. "Maybe you should stick to pies, berry picker."

Her mouth fell open and she held out the scraper towards him playfully, like a weapon. "Careful what you say, Dixon!"

Daryl looked like he was thinking about a smile, and even if his lips didn't look like it, Beth thought she saw a glimmer of a smile in his eyes. He moved closer to her, and when he reached toward the scraper, she started to release it into his hand.

"Well, that's part of your problem, hold it like you mean it, girl. Gotta put some elbow grease into wallpaper removal."

His rough hand closed around hers and the tool, and he guided her hand for her. Sometimes the pressure of his hand was a little too much, but she was more focused on the fact that he was putting his hand on hers! He sure did have a strange way about him. Of course, he probably thought that about her too, hah.  
Still, his hand was warm…

"This looked so much easier from my desk!"

She heard Daryl laugh through his nose, and he let go of her hand and walked away.

"Where are you going? What? Hey! That is MY desk."

Daryl sat back in her chair and rested his feet on the corner of the desk. "Thought I'd try your way of doing things. Mhm, you're right. This is easy livin'."

"Well wait, what if I mess up over here?"

"Ain't a whole lot to mess up, it'll just take you longer than it would me." Daryl settled in deeper to the chair, and she heard him pick up her sketchbook. She wanted to turn around and tell him to put it down, but she didn't think she could boss him around.

How many times had she drawn him in it? She hoped he didn't appear more than other people did. That would probably be awkward. He'd been pretty nice today, but she wasn't sure he'd like that she'd been staring at him that much. Ah well… She held her breath and kept scraping.


End file.
